Norway and Moldova to strengthen cooperation

News story | Date: 31/10/2024| Ministry of Defence

Norway will support Moldova in bolstering its defence sector and resilience, according to Defence Minister Bjørn Arild Gram, who visited Moldova on Thursday.

Moldova is significantly affected by Russia's war in Ukraine, facing substantial disinformation campaigns. Moldova and Norway are now enhancing their bilateral defence cooperation, with Norwegian Defence Minister Gram signing a Letter of Intent with Moldovan Defence Minister Anatolie Nosatîi in Chisinau.

'This agreement affirms our commitment to strengthen cooperation between our two countries. We will particularly explore opportunities in training, education, policy development, planning, and experience-sharing,' Gram stated.

Norway aims to support Moldova's capacity-building, especially in developing and managing its defence sector effectively. 'Our goal is to enhance democratic oversight of the defence sector. We have seen positive outcomes from similar initiatives in other regions, such as Georgia and the Western Balkans,' the Norwegian Minister remarked.

Since 2023, Norway has supported Moldova in this area through NATO programmes.

Currently, Moldova is the only neighbouring country to Ukraine receiving aid via the Norwegian Nansen Programme, with civilian assistance amounting to approximately NOK 1.6 billion.

'There are multiple reasons for expanding our cooperation. Besides facing intense Russian disinformation campaigns, Moldova's economy has also been hard-hit by the ongoing war. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moldova has managed a refugee crisis, energy crisis, high inflation, and challenging security circumstances. It's essential for Moldova to feel the support of the Western community in this difficult situation,' Gram added.

The bilateral meeting agenda covered Moldova's and the region's security situation, the war in Ukraine, defence cooperation, and NATO developments. During the visit, Gram also met representatives from the Centre for Strategic Communication and Combating Disinformation.